Another Parker’s Kitchen is coming to Columbia County.
The Columbia County Board of Commissioners approved a rezoning for the gas station at the corner of Columbia Road and William Few Parkway during the meeting on Tuesday, July 2. The rezoning was unanimously approved for 5607 Columbia Road from R-A (Residential Agricultural) to C-C (Community Commercial) with the following conditions:
- Provided the proximity to a state route, the county will require a letter of intent to permit from GDOT prior to preliminary plat approval.
- Channelizing islands and a 2’ raised center island on William Few Parkway are required to prevent left turn movement from the right in/right out driveways per GDOT’s Driveway and Encroachment Manual.
- An extension of the existing right turn lane on William Few Parkway serving southbound traffic will be required.
- A full-width overlay of William Few Parkway extending to the limits of their respective impacts will be required (approximately 500± linear feet).
Beth Connell spoke out against the rezoning, stating that there were already enough gas stations in the area.”
“I’m requesting respectfully that the commission deny this request to rezone for the Parker’s gas station,” Connell said. “Part of the reason for the basis of it is that we are getting oversaturated with gas stations in this area. In about 2 ½ or 3-mile radius, you have five or potentially seven gas stations.”
Board Chair Doug Duncan said a challenge the commissioners face is balancing private property rights with what members of the public want, especially when those come into conflict.
“The constitution allows folks who own property to profit from their property,” Duncan said. “Probably one of the hardest things to do with is if a person does not want something to happen to somebody else’s property, their property rights don’t flow over that property.”
Commissioners also approved the first reading of ordinance 24-01 adopting chapter 22 business and business regulations, article IX hotels and motels. County Manager Scott Johnson said some changes to the wording where instead of having it unlawful for a person to stay at a hotel longer than 14 days in a 30-day period, it is now unlawful to stay for longer than 30 days in a 31-day period.
“That would still meet the intent, I think, of the ordinance on our part, but it would allow them to align it better with the way they pay their taxes and the way they just really run their operations,” Johnson said. “We’ve been lobbied by at least four local hotel (owners) that reached out to me personally and then also the lobbyist for the industry in Atlanta reached out to me today and asked for this change. I’ve run this by the county attorney and staff, and we feel like this is an appropriate change. That is the only change.”
The ordinance will go before commissioners again for the second reading.
